City council votes to increase number of wards to 47

City council voted Wednesday to increase the number of wards in Toronto by three, taking the total number to 47.

Councillors approved the motion by a marginof 28-13, with Mayor John Tory voting against the increase.

"I don't think we need more politicians at city hall," Tory told reporters ahead of the vote. "I think that there's a way in which you can deal with some of the wards that have grown a great deal and provide good service to people and good representation without increasing the number of politicians."

• Toronto ward map could be redrawn to add 3 new councillors

• Toronto city council mulls ward changes to cope with population growth

The move would addthree new wardsin the downtown area, along with one in North York and remove the existing Ward 18, currently represented by Coun. Ana Bailo.

It's a recommendation that came from a consulting group in May that proposed each councilorrepresent about 61,000 people on average.

The increase follows growing disparity in the growth rates across the city's 44 existing wards in recent years. Heavy condominium development downtown and in Willowdale, nearYonge and Finch, has pushed the populations of some wardsclose to 90,000.